MABLETON, Ga. — Six Flags Over Georgia is scheduled to reopen Friday, but its Goliath roller coaster will stay dark while Georgia’s ride safety regulator works out how a rider was thrown from his seat and killed on Monday, Oct. 12.
John King, the state insurance commissioner, said Thursday that investigators and engineers from his office have been at the park around the clock since shortly after the death, digging through the ride itself, how it was operated and its paperwork to see whether every state safety requirement was met.
State law gives that office the job of permitting, inspecting and investigating amusement rides. Fixed rides must pass a state inspection before they first open and at least once a year after that, and inspectors can show up unannounced and pull unsafe rides from service.
Goliath was last inspected on March 16, 2026, and that visit turned up no violations, deficiencies, citations or red tags, King said. Under state rules, a ride involved in a death or serious injury cannot run again until the state finishes its investigation, and the office will decide when and under what conditions Goliath may return. King said the office will take action allowed under Georgia law if it finds violations.
Cobb County police are running the criminal side of the case, while the state handles ride safety and regulatory compliance.
The fallout has spread well beyond Georgia. At least 11 roller coasters have now been halted, including rides at SeaWorld Orlando and La Ronde in Montreal. Nine of the closed coasters share Goliath’s Swiss manufacturer, Bolliger & Mabillard, and a similar lap-bar restraint mounted on a post between the rider’s knees.
The man who died was 42, lived in Atlanta and worked for a school. Goliath, which opened in 2006, is one of the signature rides at the park, with a 200-foot first hill and a top speed of 70 mph.
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